Impact of oasis establishment on underground environment in salinized sandy lands

Abstract

The salinized sandy lands are the important reclaimable reserve wastelands in the south area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. But it is necessary that the ecological environment of the area is not destroyed by action of oasis development. The main factor to hinder oasis development is land salinization. Rational oasis establishment rebuilds wastelands with lower productivity and utilization efficiency for the growth of agriculture, forestry, and stock raising. The results of surveying sub-soil environment of Aimugaike×Awati oasis in Hotian County of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region show that the underground water and soil environment are not deteriorated under the rational management and administration, which could be coordinated for obtaining economic and environmental benefit. During the oasis establishment period from 1997 to 1999, the plowland area has reached 166.7 hm 2 , and the seed cotton yield per unit area has reached 2250 kg·hm -2 , the area of timber forest and active sand break forest has reached 20 hm 2 , the area of fruit trees is 71.5 hm 2 ; and the soil moisture has decreased from 22.07% to 18.12%. In the first year of oasis establishment, the soil type has changed salt soil into light salt soil, in the second year the soil has been out of salt harm; and the content of soil organic matter in topsoil has increased obviously.